5 INTERVIEW MISTAKES

Note: You are receiving this e-mail because you have subscribed to EnglishInterview.com''s mailing list. Each month, we will offer you interview tips and strategies that will help you land your next exciting assignment. These days, finding the right job is difficult. With bleak outlook in the global economy, rising cost and shrinking number of opportunities, it is very important that you learn how to ace your interviews. Here are some common interview mistakes that you should avoid during interviews. TRANSFORMING THE INTERVIEW INTO AN INTERROGATION I can’t remember the number of times that I have coached job seekers the value of a two-way communication during the interview. As an HR Consultant I have had a chance to meet some of the brightest minds and some of the best performers South Korea has to offer. However, I’ve met only a handful that really standout during interviews and needless to say these are the candidates that our global MNC clients hire. The problem with most job seekers is not their past experiences or their raw intellect (or the lack thereof) but in their ability to “sell” themselves. one thing that you must know as a job applicant is that an interview is a business conversation wherein both parties weigh the pros and cons of working together for a common goal and mutual benefit. Interviews become an interrogation when the interviewer is left with the role of asking all the questions and the applicant answering them. Needless to say, this leaves small room for the interviewer to actually understand the job applicant’s potentials. And the rule of thumb for most interviewers is that: “if the applicant can’t talk then he can’t do the walk.” THE CLICHÉS OF WEAKNESSES Most career coach would advice job applicants to highlight weaknesses like “I’m a workaholic” or “I’m a perfectionist,” and turn it into a positive. There is nothing wrong with this conventional wisdom except that if you are an HR Manager for a global company or a recruiter that meet hundreds of applicants each day, this would be really considered as one of the pet peeves. What you can do is to actually highlight a skill that you wish to improve upon (like your marketing presentation skills) and describe the steps you are actually taking to improve it. Interviewers know that you have your weaknesses but what they wish to hear most is how you handle the question and what your response indicates about you. FAILING TO ASK QUESTIONS As in any other country, interviews in South Korea - wheter its in Korea or in English - normally conclude with the interviewer asking the job applicant if he/she has any questions. What I have seen especially among the new graduates is that they normally don’t ask questions even if given the chance. Asking no questions during interviews demonstrate that you are not interested in the position and or you have no idea what the company, the job or the interview is all about. In most cases, the interviewer would be more impressed with your questions then your self-introduction because this shows the level of understanding and interest that you have for the job you are applying for. I know one senior executive from Singapore in one of the global IT-Banking products solutions provider that hired the first person he interviewed for the position of sales manager in their new Seoul Office. When asked why he chose the first candidate despite having not seen 3 more remaining applicants, his response was: “The guy asked the questions that I would normally ask my boss. If he can ask this level of questions then it means that he pretty much understands the objective of the company and that he would be very trainable.” KNOWING THE JOB, THE COMPANY BUT NOT ABOUT YOU When I coach job applicants on how to ace their interviews I always remind them that they should always have a complete understanding of the job and the company they are applying for but most of all about themselves. The interview is all about you. Your fit to the job. Your fit to the company’s corporate culture. Your potentials. Before you go to any interview make an inventory of your accomplishments, experiences, knowledge and skills. This will help you formulate winning answers and help you discuss any part of your professional background. This is also the best way to overcome those interview jitters that you might experience if this is your first interview. WAITING FOR A CALL Never ever sit down and wait for a phone call. In today’s active world you must learn to make the initial move to get that dream job. Send a thank you note or thank you e-mail to your interviewers. Make follow up questions or additional information. Give them a call and remind them that you are their next high-performer. Your goal is to always make everyone remember you. Remember that each interview is a new experience. Learn from your mistakes and improve yourself each step of the way and you can turn each interview to a job offer.